Wireless networks are becoming more and more popular. With the popularity of wireless networks increasing, users also demand broader coverage from a wireless network, such as voice, video and data communication support. One wireless local area network (WLAN) standard that has been gaining popularity is the IEEE 802.11 specification. The IEEE 802.11 specification provides requirements for devices to communicate wirelessly. In particular, the specification sets physical requirements, such as the communication method, and requirements for the media access control (MAC) layer of the WLAN.
The physical requirements for a IEEE 802.11 WLAN allow devices to communicate using modulation techniques such as direct sequence spread spectrum and frequency-hopping spread spectrum. The MAC layer is a set of protocols that is responsible for maintaining order in the use of a shared medium. The IEEE 802.11 standard specifies a carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) protocol.
An IEEE 802.11 infrastructure networking framework in which devices communicate with each other must first connect through an Access Point (AP). In general, there are two types of mode for connections with a WLAN, ad hoc mode and infrastructure mode. In infrastructure mode, wireless devices can communicate with each other or can communicate with a wired network via an AP. An AP connected to a wired network and a set of wireless stations it is referred to as a Basic Service Set (BSS). In ad hoc mode, also known as Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS), wireless devices communicate directly with each other without a central controller such as an AP. Additionally, in ad hoc mode, the wireless devices within the IBSS do not have access to other devices beyond the IBSS cell. Most corporate wireless LANs operate in infrastructure mode because they require access to the wired LAN in order to use services such as file servers or printers. In general, an AP must have a wired connection to provide access to the Internet or other networked resources. The requirement of a wired connection for an AP limits the depth available for a BSS because the BSS cell size is determined by the range of the radio transmitter/receiver pairs, which therefore limits the capabilities of a single AP. What is needed are systems and methods to increase the depth available to WLANs.